The winner of the IMPAC was announced a bit ago:
- Even the Dogs, by Jon McGregor
I haven’t read this one yet, though a couple of years ago it got quite a lot of attention from bloggers I respect. For differing views, check KevinfromCanada’s positive review here and John Self’s negative review here. I don’t currently have plans to read it.
Even the Dogs was one of my very top reads the year that it came out. The bendy-back format was superb and I had high hopes that it would set a trend for more of these, but sadly, it’s the only one I’ve ever seen.
I’m glad to see this book win a major prize after it was passed over by the Booker.
I lost track of the IMPAC this year — so it was a pleasant surprise when I read that Even The Dogs had won. While I don’t think it is a book for everyone’s tastes, it impressed me when I read it and continues to impress my a couple of years on.